Understanding the MicroStrategy Architecture

A MicroStrategy system is built around a three-tier or four-tier structure.

• The first tier consists of two databases: the data warehouse, which contains the information that your users analyze; and the MicroStrategy metadata, which contains information about your MicroStrategy projects. For an introduction to these databases, see Storing Information: the Data Warehouse and Indexing your Data: MicroStrategy Metadata.
• The second tier consists of MicroStrategy Intelligence Server, which executes your reports, dashboards, and documents against the data warehouse. For an introduction to Intelligence Server, see Processing Your Data: Intelligence Server.

  If MicroStrategy Developer users connect via a two-tier project source (also called a direct connection), they can access the data warehouse without Intelligence Server. For more information on two-tier project sources, see Tying it All Together: Projects and Project Sources.

• The third tier in this system is MicroStrategy Web or Mobile Server, which delivers the reports to a client. For an introduction to MicroStrategy Web, see Administering MicroStrategy Web and Mobile.
• The last tier is the MicroStrategy Web client, Library client, Workstation client, or MicroStrategy Mobile app, which provides documents and reports to the users.

  In a three-tier system, Developer is the last tier.